by Marilyn Knowles Wilke

Created on: March 20, 2009

Should you interfere in a friend's unhealthy relationship? If you love your friend and feel that their relationship is causing them to be in danger or ruining their life, of course you should interfere. A friend can be closer than family at times and when that friend is being hurt or abused, not only should you interfere, but continue to encourage your friend to get out of their bad relationship no matter what it takes.

Some people stay in unhealthy relationships because they feel like they have to. Either they are afraid of their partner or perhaps they do not think they can find love anywhere else. This is when a true friend needs to step in and do all that they can to stop their mutual friend from making unhealthy mistakes. These types of relationships can end up in a lot of pain, abuse, and even death. As a friend, you should consistently try and convince them to get out while they can. There are ways that you can encourage them and perhaps save them from a terrible fate.

One way to encourage a friend to get out of this kind of relationship is to spend more time with that person. Often, people stay away from bad situations because they do not want to get involved. If they would spend more time with their friend, it will give them more leverage. This helps them gain their friend's trust more, as well. No one can solve anything by cramming advice down someone's throat, but if you show your friend that there is a better life to go to, then they will be more likely to leave their bad relationship.

Show compassion and understanding, but be firm when talking to your friend about their situation. Remind them of how much better their life would be if they would walk away from it. Offer to help them stay safe if they are afraid of their partner. Get law enforcement involved if necessary. Get as many friends involved as you can to encourage them to leave and go to a safe place, even if you have to make the arrangements. It takes a lot of pushing sometimes to get a person out of an unhealthy relationship especially if they think they are in love or if they are in love with their partner. Love can certainly be blind and will often deceive that person into believing that either they love the person too much to leave or cause them to believe that there is no way out. This often happens if a man is controlling and manipulative. He can convince that person that no one else would want them and they are nothing without him. Reminding them of how important they are can sometimes

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